Sunday, October 23, 2011

Guess who's coming to dinner

What makes a successful dinner party? There are obvious components of course - good food, candlelight, music perhaps. Ordinarily a successful dinner party depends who is invited, and how they are seated around the table. It can be a very tricky chemistry.

The Literary Feast throws the common wisdom of purposefully inviting like-minded people into the wind. I love that!

[A literary feast is] a fundraiser presented by the Capitol Hill Community Foundation: 33 dinner parties held in homes across Capitol Hill all on one evening. Each dinner features food and fun related to a specific book (reading is optional-- it’s a dinner, not a discussion!) A community-wide dinner party, a chance to mingle with new and old friends, all for a great cause.

Those who want to participate choose from a list of books, buy tickets without knowing where or with whom they will be feasting. Last night I only knew two of our guests. It could have been awkward or dicey or downright uncomfortable, but it was so much fun! Couples who came together purposely seated themselves apart from one another, so they could talk with people they didn't already know. Everyone made themselves at home immediately, something that isn't that hard to do in the house on Tennessee Avenue, but still, I was impressed!

Dinner was tasty, but last night was more about the gathering than anything else. I'm a bit weary from all the cooking yesterday and from the energy I had to generate to successfully hang out with people I've never met (I am such an introvert!)

It was well worth it. You see, THIS is why I love homo sapiens. When we're good, when we're willing to take a chance, have some fun, do some good in the world, we are SO good. Last night I witnessed good cheer and good will amongst a colorful variety of my fellow humans. Experiences like this are encouraging.